Manufacture of drinking cups



Feb. 2, 1937. P SWALLQW I 2,069,287

MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING VCUPS Filed Feb. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Shee t l V IN V EN T OR. fimzw Jaw/mm ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 2, 1937. sw ow 2,069,287

MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS Filed Feb. 12, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Fwd/705 P Sam/law A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 2, 1937. F. P. swALLow 2,

MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING 001 s Fil ed Feb. l2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Franc/s E jn m/aw A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 2, 1937.

F. P. SWALLOW MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 12, 1934 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES MANUFACTURE OF DRINKING CUPS Francis P Swallow, Worcester, Mass., assignor to United States Envelope Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application February 12, 1934, Serial No. 710,945

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of sanitary drinking cups and is in the nature of an improvement upon the invention disclosed and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 710,944, filed February 12, 1934.

Objects of the invention reside in the provision of simple, economical and efficient means and methods of producing the cups from blanks of sheet material.

In accordance with the present invention the cup is manufactured from a blank of paper or other suitable sheet material comprising a pair of sector-like portions integrally connected at their smaller ends to one another. Marginal portions of the inner face of the narrower sector are gummed. The wider sector is then pressed into a hollow former which bends the blank Without creasing it, to cause the marginal portions of the wider sector to be inclined inward so that they may come beneath and lie flat against the gummed margins of the narrower sector. The blank is then creased between the sectors. The sectors are then folded toward one another until the margins of the narrow sector are superposed upon the margins of the wide sector. The adhesive seams thus provided are pressed to perfect the seams and complete the cup.

tions desirably comprises a pair of formers pivotally connected to one another, the former for operating upon the wider sector being concave and being provided at opposite sides with rounded recesses. A plunger plate is depressed to fit the wider sector into the concave former and cause the marginal portions of the larger sector to point upward and inward. Provision is made for holding the blank to both formers by suction. Creasing bars are next operated to crease the blank in line with the junction of the formers. The formers are then swung together to superpose the gummed margins of the narrow sector upon the inturned margins of the wider sector, and while the formers hold the blank in this condition a presser plate is inserted to press the seams. The presser plate and the former cooperative therewith continue to hold the blank after the concave former has started back toward its original position so that the blank is pulled out of the concave former. The presser plate and the other former are then returned to their original positions to free the blank.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The apparatus for carrying out these opera- In the drawings forming part of this specification Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating the formers and a portion of the associated instrumentalities for operating upon the blank;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank, with the marginal portions of the wider sector turned in but illustrated also in their original fiat condition in dot and dash lines;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the finished cup; 10

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the formers, the plunger and the presser plate;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in end elevation illustrating the concave former and the action of the 15 plunger upon the blank;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic View illustrating the action of the presser plate;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on, the line 1-1 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; 20

Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the formers in an intermediate position;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating the formers in their final positions; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly broken away, showing the operating mechanism.

The machine comprises a pair of formers l and 2. A blank 3 is adapted to be placed over the formers in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Fixed abutments 4 are provided for engaging the corners of the blank to locate it correctly with reference to the formers. The former I may be flat and former 2 concave. The former l is supported on arms 5 and 6. mounted upon a pivot pin 1 in a frame member 9. The arm 5 is fast upon a shaft 8 which is journaled in a hollow shaft l2, the latter being supported in a frame member 9a. Provision is made of suitable means for rocking the shaft 8 at the 4 appropriate times in the cycle of operations to cause the former l to operate in proper timed relation to the other parts.

The former 2 is supported upon arms 10 and II. The arm I 0 is pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 1. The arm I I is fast upon the hollow shaft l2. Provision is made of suitable meansfor rocking the shaft l2 at the proper times in the cycle to cause the former 2 to be operated in proper timed relation to the other parts.

After a blank has been placed in the position indicated in Fig. 1, a plunger plate l3 fixed to the lower end of a plunger rod I4, is pressed down I into the former 2 to fit the blank 3 into the former as illustrated in Fig. 5. The former has a '55.,

The arm 6 is pivotally 5 1 substantially flat bottom, and at the opposite sides of the bottom provision is made of curved recesses which turn the marginal portions I5 of the blank inward and upward without impairing the natural resiliency of the blank material. When the blank has been pressed into conformity with the hollow former 2, the plunger plate I3 is returned to its original position.

After the plunger plate has started to move upward, creasing fingers I6 are swung inward to crease the blank in line with the abutting edges of the formers I and 2. The fingers I6 are fast upon rock shafts I! which are operated by any suitable mechanism in proper timed relation to the other parts. After the blank has been creased by the fingers, the fingers are retracted to their original positions.

As has been mentioned, the formers I and 2 are formed to hold the blank by suction. Each former is connected through its back with a source of suction through a flexible suction tube I8. Each former has a hollow interior, and is provided with suction openings I9 in its face. In the former 2, side passages I9a are provided which communicate through longitudinal passages with additional suction openings 2I formed in the inner curved faces of the former.

When the blank has been creased, the shafts 8 and I2 are simultaneously rocked to swing the formers upward about the common axis of the shafts toward one another. The common axis of the shafts is located slightly above the contacting edges of the formers in the plane of the upper surface of the blank. The formers swing through the position illustrated in Fig. 8 to the position illustrated in Fig. 9. In the latter position gummed marginal portions 22 of the narrow sector 23 of the blank 3 overlie the inturned marginal portions I5 of the wider sector 24 of the blank 3.

While the formers remain in the position of Fig. 9 a presser plate 25 is thrust downward into the blank. The movement of the presser plate 25 is nearly, but not quite, parallel to the inner face of the former I. The presser plate, near the end of its movement, is caused to bear against the face of the former I to press the seams formed by the adhesive.

When the presser plate 25 has reached the lower limit of its movement and is gripping the cup against the former I, retraction of the former 2 is begun. The former 2 is thus pulled free of the finished cup. After this has been accomplished the former 2 continues its movement until it has reached the original position illustrated in Fig. 4. During this latter part of the retracting movement of the former 2, the former I is also returned to original position and the presser plate 25 is retracted so that the finished cup is left entirely free and may be removed.

The suction means is controlled and timed to release the blank substantially at the time when the retracting movement of the former 2 begins.

When the formers I and 2 have been restored to their original positions in which they rest respectively upon abutments 26 and 21, the parts are ready for repetition of the cycle of operations described.

The mechanism for operating the various parts in the manner described is disclosed in Fig. 10. All of the parts are operated and controlled from a cam shaft C which is journalled in the machine frame 30 and which is constantly driven.

The cam shaft C carries a cam 3I for operating the plunger plate I3 in the manner described.

The cam 3I acts upon a cam follower 32 carried by a rod 33. The rod 33 is normally urged upward by a spring 34 connected to the rod and to the frame 33. The rod 33 is connected to a rocking lever 35 which in turn has a pin-and-slot connection with the upper end of the plunger I4. The contour of the cam 3| is such that the plunger plate I3 is lowered and raised at the appropriate times in the cycle for carrying out the described operations.

The cam shaft C also carries a cam 36 for operating the formers I and 2 in the manner described. The cam 36 acts upon a cam follower 3'! carried by a forked slide 38 which embraces, and is guided by, the shaft C. The slide 33 is also guided by a stationary groove block 39, the groove of which receives a portion of the follower 31. The outer end of the slide 38 is connected through rods 40 and 4| to cranks 42 and 53 which are fast, respectively, upon the shafts 8 and I2. A spring 43 connected to the rod 40 and to the machine frame urges the fingers to the position illustrated in Fig. 10 and maintains the follower 31 in engagement with the cam 36. The contour of the cam 36 is such that the slide is thrust outward at the appropriate time in the cycle to fold the formers I and 2 together as described, and is permitted to be retracted by a spring at the appropriate time in the cycle to separate the formers as described.

The cam shaft C also carries a cam 44 for operating the presser plate 25 in the manner described. The cam 44 acts upon a cam follower 45 which is carried by a rod 46. The rod is drawn upward by a spring 41 and is pulled downward by the cam in opposition to the spring. The upper end of the rod 46 is connected to a rocking lever 48 which, through a pin-and-slot connection, is connected to the upper end of a plunger 49 whereby the presser plate 25 is carried. The plunger 49 is guided in a bore formed in a frame bracket 50. The contour of the cam 44 is such that the plate 25 is caused to descend and rise at the appropriate times in the cycles for carrying out the described operations.

The cam shaft C also carries a cam 5| for operating the fingers I6 in the manner described. The cam 5| acts upon a follower 52 carried by a rod 53. A spring 54 connected to the rod 53 and to the frame 30 maintains the follower 52 in engagement with the cam 5|. The rod 53 is connected to a bell crank 55 journalled on a shaft 56, and the bell crank in turn is connected through pin-and-slot connections with cranks 51 which are fast on the rock shafts H. The contour of the cam 5! is such that the fingers I8 are caused to be swung in and out at the appropriate times in the cycle for carrying out the described operation.

Suitable valve mechanism (not shown) is also operated from the cam shaft C for controlling the air connections to the hose I8.

Although the articles made by the machines and method of the present invention are referred to herein as drinking cups, it will be understood that the invention is not limited for use in the manufacture of such cups, but that the articles made by the present invention are capable of widely diversified uses, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of pivotally connected formers for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors, one of the formers being concave and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, and means for relatively swinging the formers toward one another to fold the blank transversely and superpose upon the inturned side marginal portions of one sector, the side marginal portions of the other sector.

2. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of pivotally connected formers for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors, means for scoring the blank between the formers, one of the formers being concave and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, and means for relatively swinging the formers toward one another to fold the blank transversely and su perpose upon the inturned side marginal portions of one sector, the side marginal portions of the other sector.

3. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of pivotally connected formers for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors, one of the formers being concave and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, a plunger plate for pushing the blank into the concave former, and means for relatively swinging the formers toward one another to fold the blank transversely and superpose upon the inturned side marginal portions of one sector the side marginal portions of the other sector.

4. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of pivotally connected formers for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors and initially supporting them substantially in a common plane, one of the formers being concave and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, suction means for holding the blank sectors to the respective formers, and means for relatively swinging the formers toward one another to superpose upon the inturned portions of one sector, the side marginal portions of the other sector.

5. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of formers mounted for relative pivotal movement for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors and initially supporting them substantially in a common plane, one of the formers being concave and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, a plunger operable to press a sector of the blank into the concave former when the formers are in an open condition, means to close the formers to fold the blank transversely and superpose upon inturned marginal portions of one sector the side marginal portions of the other sector, and means operable between the closed formers to press the superposed marginal portions away from said concave former and against the other former.

6. In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, means to score transversely the waist portion of a blank having oppositely extending sector-like portions, means to curl one of said sector-like portions to cause the side margins thereof to extend inward, and means to fold the sector-like portions toward one another to superpose the margins of one sector portion upon the margins of the other sector portion.

'7. An apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups from blanks each comprising a pair of oppositely extending sector-like portions, comprising a concave former provided with curved side recesses to curl one sector and cause the margins thereof to extend inward, a thrust member movable into said former to accomplish such curling, and means for pressing the margins of the other sector against such inturned margins.

8- In an apparatus for making sanitary drinking cups, in combination, a pair of formers mounted for relative pivotal movement for engaging oppositely extending blank sectors and initially supporting them substantially in a common plane, one of the formers being concave'and provided with curved side recesses to bend the blank and turn side marginal portions of one sector thereof inward, a plunger operable to press a sector of the blank into the concave former when the formersare in an open condition, means to close the formers to superpose upon inturned marginal portions of one sector the side marginal portions of the other sector, and means operable between the closed formers to press the superposed marginal portions away from said concave former and against the other former, the pressing means and said other former serving also to strip the blank from the concave former.

9. The method of making a nested stack of sanitary drinking cups which comprises for each cup providing a one-piece blank composed of oppositely extending sector-like portions, transversely scoring the blank, curling one sector of the blank to cause the side margins thereof to extend inward through sweeping curves, bringing said side margins into superposed relation with the side margins of the other sector, while maintaining the natural springiness of the curled portions and nesting the finished cups.

10. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprises providing a one-piece blank composed of oppositely extending sector-like portions, transversely scoring the blank, curling one sector of the blank to cause the side margins thereof to extend inward through sweeping curves, and bringing said side margins into superposed relation with the side margins of the other sector by folding the blank transversely at the junction of the sectors and pressing the superposed side margins together while maintaining the natural springiness of the curled portions.

11. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprises providing a one-piece blank composed of oppositely extending relatively Wide and narrow sector-like portions, gumming side marginal portions of one of the sectors, curling the wider sector to cause the side margins thereof to extend inward through sweeping curves, and bringing said side margins into superposed relation with the side margins of the other sector to adhesively unite the superposed margins, by folding the blank transversely at the junction of the sectors, While maintaining the natural springiness of the curled portions, and pressing the superposed side margins together.

12. The method of making sanitary drinking cups which comprises providing a one-piece blank composed of oppositely extending relatively wide and narrow sector-like portions, gumming side marginal portions of one of the sectors, curling the wider sector to cause the side margins thereof to extend inward through sweeping curves, and folding the blank transversely while maintaining the natural springiness of the curled portions to bring said side margins into superposed relation with the side margins of the other sector.

13. The method of making a nested stack of sanitary drinking cups which comprises providing a one-piece blank composed of oppositely extending relatively wide and narrow sector-like portions, gumming side marginal portions of one of the sectors, and forming the cup by transversely folding the blank and curving the marginal portions of the wider sector so as to provide overlapping longitudinal areas, while maintaining the natural springiness of the curved portions, and nesting the finished cups.

FRANCIS P. SWALLOW. 

